NBA legend Jason Kidd is getting more than a taste of the Philippines’ famous basketball culture during his first reported visit to the country — he is also digging into some of its most recognizable flavors.
MANILA, Philippines — Basketball Hall of Famer Jason Kidd apparently made room in his packed Manila schedule for a distinctly Filipino experience, sitting down to a meal featuring lechon and kare-kare at Grace Park, one of Makati’s best-known restaurants for elevated Filipino comfort food.
Bilyonaryo reported on August 30 that Kidd visited Grace Park Dining at One Rockwell in Makati, where the former NBA superstar sampled the Filipino dishes during his stay in the capital.
The food stop adds another local twist to what has already become a memorable first visit to the Philippines for one of basketball’s greatest point guards.
From NBA royalty to Filipino comfort food
Lechon and kare-kare are heavyweight choices for anyone getting acquainted with Filipino cuisine.
Grace Park, the restaurant associated with the late celebrated chef Margarita Forés, has long been known for combining locally sourced ingredients, Filipino culinary traditions and Italian influences. Forés, who died in February 2025 at age 65, founded restaurants including Grace Park, Cibo and Lusso and was named Asia’s Best Female Chef in 2016.
The restaurant’s connection to lechon is especially timely. Just days before Kidd’s reported visit, ABS-CBN reported that Grace Park was featuring one of Forés’ favorite versions of lechon as part of a limited-time collaboration.
Grace Park’s menu and dining reputation also include Filipino favorites such as Negros-style lechon and kare-kare, alongside the restaurant’s signature farm-to-table approach.
For Kidd, the meal was another encounter with Filipino culture during a visit already centered around something the country arguably loves just as fiercely as food: basketball.
Why Jason Kidd is in the Philippines
Kidd traveled to Manila for the inaugural NBA House Philippines, staged on August 29 and 30 at SPACE at One Ayala in Makati City.
The two-day NBA fan experience brought together basketball activities, memorabilia, entertainment, music and appearances by international basketball icons.
Kidd was joined by fellow Hall of Fame point guard Tony Parker and Australian basketball legend Lauren Jackson. Official event information listed interactive basketball activities, clinics, celebrity games and performances among the weekend attractions.
Inquirer reported that the trip marked Kidd’s first visit to the Philippines. Despite rainy weather, Filipino fans turned up for NBA House, where Kidd saw firsthand the intensity of the country’s basketball following.
Kidd told reporters that he was struck by the energy surrounding the sport and said Filipinos’ love of basketball was easy to see.
GMA News similarly reported Kidd saying he was happy to finally be in Manila, describing basketball in the Philippines as practically a “religion.”
Jason Kidd even coached against Tony Parker in Manila
Kidd’s Philippine visit wasn’t limited to fan appearances.
He and Parker went head-to-head as coaches during the NBA House Prime Video Celebrity Showcase on August 29.
Team Kidd included SB19 members Pablo and Stell, along with actors and personalities including Khalil Ramos, Elijah Canlas and Jeremiah Lisbo.
Parker’s squad featured SB19 members Josh, Ken and Justin along with a roster of Filipino celebrities, athletes and creators.
This time, Parker got the better of his fellow legendary point guard, with Team Parker winning 97-76.
NBA House also featured Filipino entertainment heavyweights, including performances involving SB19, Lola Amour and KAIA, making the event as much a pop-culture gathering as a basketball celebration.
One of basketball’s greatest point guards meets its most passionate fans
Kidd arrived in Manila with one of the most decorated résumés of his generation.
The former point guard was a 10-time NBA All-Star, won the 2011 NBA championship with the Dallas Mavericks, and finished his playing career with 12,091 assists, placing him second on the NBA’s all-time assists list.
He entered the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as an individual player in 2018 and was honored again when the United States’ celebrated 2008 “Redeem Team” was inducted in 2025.
After retiring as a player, Kidd moved into coaching, holding roles with the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers before eventually leading the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals.
But statistics and trophies only explain part of why Kidd’s Manila visit attracted attention.
For generations of Filipino basketball fans who watched Kidd control NBA games with his passing, court vision and triple-double performances, seeing him on Philippine soil was already significant.
Seeing him embrace Filipino food makes the visit feel considerably more local.
Basketball brought Jason Kidd to Manila — Filipino culture did the rest
NBA House may have been the official reason Kidd traveled to the Philippines, but moments away from the basketball court are giving fans another glimpse of how the Hall of Famer is experiencing the country.
A table filled with lechon and kare-kare at a celebrated Makati restaurant may seem like a small detail beside an NBA championship and Hall of Fame career.
For Filipino fans, however, food is often one of the fastest ways to turn a visitor into an honorary guest.
And on his first Manila trip, Jason Kidd appears to be getting the full introduction — basketball, Filipino fans and a serious plate of Pinoy comfort food included.
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